Ambrocio Kerwin A. Perez’s technology on rapid hygienic curing of shell eggs bagged the Outstanding Utility Model Award during the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) in Calabarzon held last September 25 to 27 in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
The winning utility model is an accelerated curing of eggshells which enables salted eggs to have a shelf life of up to six months without refrigeration.
“The application of my research would significantly reduce the curing time from the conventional 12-30 days to 1 to 7 days,” said Perez, researcher and owner of Eggciting Products Manufacturing.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) noted that salted egg is a Filipino delicacy made by soaking duck or chicken eggs in brine.
“The oversupply of eggs leads to serious industry losses and the industry’s lack of initiative to exert effort to ensure top quality fresh egg supply pushed me to do this research,” said Perez in a statement released by the DOST.
Perez added that the research could benefit the multibillion local egg industry, address food security, as well as livelihood employment across the egg value chain, and preserve Filipinos’ cultural culinary identity.
The winning utility model topped four contenders for the outstanding utility model category.
He received P25,000 and a certificate of recognition from the DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (Tapi).
The Outstanding Utility Model, one of RICE’s six categories, recognizes new utility models or any industrial product which does not possess the quality of an invention but has practical utility by reason through form, configuration, construction or composition.
The runners-up of the outstanding utility model category are as follows:
First Runner-up—Safety Assembly for Watercraft and Amphibious Vessel by Tirso A. Ronquillo, Albertson Amante and Armando Sinohin; and
Second Runner-up—System for Chlorine-free and Chemical-free Swimming Pool Filtration, Sterilization, and Ionization by Rodrigo P. Duque.
RICE in Calabarzon was organized by the DOST-Tapi in collaboration with the DOST-Calabarzon.
The nationwide search for the National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) qualifiers in 2020 continues as the best of the best in the regions are selected in RICE celebrations in 10 regions.
Image credits: DOST Photo